County Commission remains at odds with sheriff over large budget request

Published: Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 8:02 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 8:02 p.m.

For the first time since he provided the County Commission his jaw-dropping $17.4-million spending increase for next year, Sheriff Chris Blair has offered details of where the money will go.

Appearing before the board during a budget hearing on Tuesday, Blair pressed the case for more deputies, more corrections officers, newer cars, better computer equipment and other needs, such as funding to pay down overtime costs he considers excessive and to meet state-mandated hikes in retirement and insurance premiums.

When it was over, however, the board asked Blair to rework the numbers, saying his plan was unreasonable in the current economic climate because it would require a property tax increase of 28 percent for all taxpayers and 48 percent for those in unincorporated Marion.

They wanted the sheriff to bring back a budget that does not require a tax increase.

Blair said he could not agree to their demands.

The sheriff ended the session by tossing the budget back to the board to make the necessary cuts, saying that he couldn't sever any part of his proposed budget.

With several more workshops remaining before the county must finalize next year's budget, it is unclear where the two sides go from here.

Commissioners did not comment publicly on Blair's move, but during the meeting some commissioners raised the specter of consolidating some services between the county and the Sheriff's Office to cut costs. Blair said he was open to considering consolidation in some areas.

What he would not budge on, however, was his requests for deputies, cars, equipment and other items that he says are sorely needed to sustain the department.

During the nearly two-hour discussion, Blair and his top commanders insisted that every item in the budget was essential to make up for years of cost cutting under former Sheriff Ed Dean, who guided the agency through a severe recession that tanked the local economy.

Blair, framing the issue as one of critical public safety, complained about a "total shortage of manpower" that often left corrections officers in the jail unable to take all of their vacation time and placed patrol deputies in precarious situations without adequate backup.

The sheriff said he had done all he could to remedy his manpower problems himself by redirecting $563,000 that was available after senior leaders retired to create 23 new deputy and corrections officer positions.

But when Chairwoman Kathy Bryant asked whether more adjustments could be made to help him get more front-line people, Blair continued to argue that he needed fresh resources.

"I'm not saying I'm not able to accomplish it," he said. "I'm just saying to you the fact is that my concern is the safety of deputy sheriffs on the street. They don't have backup. So, it's my job as the sheriff to make sure they stay safe.

"The only way to keep them safe is to add manpower."

Blair noted at one point that he had whittled down his initial request, seeking about $1.2 million less in other areas.

But, he added, "We don't have the manpower to keep the community safe.

"The safety of some of our deputies out here, I'm not willing to risk that. I have to sleep at night."

In an apparent effort to compromise, commissioners attempted to pin the sheriff down on his most pressing needs.

When Commissioner Stan McClain asked how the problem could be solved without a massive spending hike, Blair responded, "Add 20 deputies. And that's not going to solve it, other than starting somewhere."

When Bryant questioned whether Blair could live with just those 20 patrolmen, Blair said he could not. He must have the additional corrections officers as well.

Commissioner Carl Zalak challenged Blair over part of his funding increase.

Zalak said the sheriff also budgeted across-the-board raises for his employees and he noted that those raises would be enough to hire 85 deputies — or four times as many patrol officers as he wants.

"You don't think deputy sheriffs deserve raises?" Blair shot back.

When Bryant followed up by inquiring whether other county employees deserved pay increases, Blair replied, "I don't disagree. But every other county employee is not risking their lives and being shot at every day."

Blair's requested spending boost is the primary driver in a proposed property tax hike that would send the base rate paid by all property owners skyrocketing by 28 percent, to $4.98 per $1,000 of taxable value.

That's a $1.09 increase over the current $3.89 per $1,000.

Blair's budget also means a significant jump in the special property tax that funds the Sheriff's Office's patrol and investigative operations.

That levy applies to all property owners in unincorporated Marion.

Meeting Blair's request would increase that tax rate by 48 percent, from $2.81 per $1,000 of taxable value to $4.16 per $1,000.

Last month commissioners signaled that they would not accept a budget from other locally elected officials that meant increasing tax rates.

That pledge was reiterated on Monday, as commissioners asked staff to shave spending to maintain the current rate.

According to county Budget Director Michael Tomich, that would mean cutting $14.4 million from the $490.9 million budget for 2014, which takes effect on Oct. 1.

The board faces another challenge in granting Blair's request.

Tomich told commissioners on Monday that they would have to amend the ordinance governing the special tax district for law enforcement in order to accommodate the higher rate.

The local law sets the maximum property tax rate for the district at $4 per $1,000 taxable value. Making that change would require two public hearings before Aug. 4.

Commissioners pointed out that Blair had promised during last year's campaign to add deputies without raising taxes.

Blair answered that he did not know how critical the shortages in manpower and technology were.

In a document provided to the Star-Banner prior to the meeting, Blair's office broke down the items that make up his budget increase.

They include:

* $3.3 million to hire 50 new deputies, 20 for patrol and 30 in the jail;

* $6.1 million for new vehicles and other equipment;

* $1.8 million to meet new state mandates for funding the employees pension and insurance programs;

* $3.5 million to boost the contingency fund for emergencies;

* $567,708 to pick up the tab for 10 deputies hired under a federal grant program that is expiring;

Chairwoman Bryant pointed out to the sheriff that he was in a meeting of the county's elected constitutional officers when it was decided that, at least for the upcoming budget year, all county agencies would hold down spending.

"Obviously there is work to be done," she suggested. "For this budget year, this isn't going to work."

Blair replied that the commission was ultimately responsible for deciding how to proceed.

"It's hard for you to understand, I guess, that I've got 750 employees, and they have had a lot on their back for a long time. ... And they need someone to stand up for them, and I'm here to do that."

<p>For the first time since he provided the County Commission his jaw-dropping $17.4-million spending increase for next year, Sheriff Chris Blair has offered details of where the money will go.</p><p>Appearing before the board during a budget hearing on Tuesday, Blair pressed the case for more deputies, more corrections officers, newer cars, better computer equipment and other needs, such as funding to pay down overtime costs he considers excessive and to meet state-mandated hikes in retirement and insurance premiums.</p><p>When it was over, however, the board asked Blair to rework the numbers, saying his plan was unreasonable in the current economic climate because it would require a property tax increase of 28 percent for all taxpayers and 48 percent for those in unincorporated Marion.</p><p>They wanted the sheriff to bring back a budget that does not require a tax increase.</p><p>Blair said he could not agree to their demands.</p><p>The sheriff ended the session by tossing the budget back to the board to make the necessary cuts, saying that he couldn't sever any part of his proposed budget.</p><p>With several more workshops remaining before the county must finalize next year's budget, it is unclear where the two sides go from here.</p><p>Commissioners did not comment publicly on Blair's move, but during the meeting some commissioners raised the specter of consolidating some services between the county and the Sheriff's Office to cut costs. Blair said he was open to considering consolidation in some areas.</p><p>What he would not budge on, however, was his requests for deputies, cars, equipment and other items that he says are sorely needed to sustain the department.</p><p>During the nearly two-hour discussion, Blair and his top commanders insisted that every item in the budget was essential to make up for years of cost cutting under former Sheriff Ed Dean, who guided the agency through a severe recession that tanked the local economy.</p><p>Blair, framing the issue as one of critical public safety, complained about a "total shortage of manpower" that often left corrections officers in the jail unable to take all of their vacation time and placed patrol deputies in precarious situations without adequate backup.</p><p>The sheriff said he had done all he could to remedy his manpower problems himself by redirecting $563,000 that was available after senior leaders retired to create 23 new deputy and corrections officer positions.</p><p>But when Chairwoman Kathy Bryant asked whether more adjustments could be made to help him get more front-line people, Blair continued to argue that he needed fresh resources.</p><p>"I'm not saying I'm not able to accomplish it," he said. "I'm just saying to you the fact is that my concern is the safety of deputy sheriffs on the street. They don't have backup. So, it's my job as the sheriff to make sure they stay safe.</p><p>"The only way to keep them safe is to add manpower."</p><p>Blair noted at one point that he had whittled down his initial request, seeking about $1.2 million less in other areas.</p><p>But, he added, "We don't have the manpower to keep the community safe.</p><p>"The safety of some of our deputies out here, I'm not willing to risk that. I have to sleep at night."</p><p>In an apparent effort to compromise, commissioners attempted to pin the sheriff down on his most pressing needs.</p><p>When Commissioner Stan McClain asked how the problem could be solved without a massive spending hike, Blair responded, "Add 20 deputies. And that's not going to solve it, other than starting somewhere."</p><p>When Bryant questioned whether Blair could live with just those 20 patrolmen, Blair said he could not. He must have the additional corrections officers as well.</p><p>Commissioner Carl Zalak challenged Blair over part of his funding increase.</p><p>Zalak said the sheriff also budgeted across-the-board raises for his employees and he noted that those raises would be enough to hire 85 deputies — or four times as many patrol officers as he wants.</p><p>"You don't think deputy sheriffs deserve raises?" Blair shot back.</p><p>When Bryant followed up by inquiring whether other county employees deserved pay increases, Blair replied, "I don't disagree. But every other county employee is not risking their lives and being shot at every day."</p><p>Blair's requested spending boost is the primary driver in a proposed property tax hike that would send the base rate paid by all property owners skyrocketing by 28 percent, to $4.98 per $1,000 of taxable value.</p><p>That's a $1.09 increase over the current $3.89 per $1,000.</p><p>Blair's budget also means a significant jump in the special property tax that funds the Sheriff's Office's patrol and investigative operations.</p><p>That levy applies to all property owners in unincorporated Marion.</p><p>Meeting Blair's request would increase that tax rate by 48 percent, from $2.81 per $1,000 of taxable value to $4.16 per $1,000.</p><p>Last month commissioners signaled that they would not accept a budget from other locally elected officials that meant increasing tax rates.</p><p>That pledge was reiterated on Monday, as commissioners asked staff to shave spending to maintain the current rate.</p><p>According to county Budget Director Michael Tomich, that would mean cutting $14.4 million from the $490.9 million budget for 2014, which takes effect on Oct. 1.</p><p>The board faces another challenge in granting Blair's request.</p><p>Tomich told commissioners on Monday that they would have to amend the ordinance governing the special tax district for law enforcement in order to accommodate the higher rate.</p><p>The local law sets the maximum property tax rate for the district at $4 per $1,000 taxable value. Making that change would require two public hearings before Aug. 4.</p><p>Commissioners pointed out that Blair had promised during last year's campaign to add deputies without raising taxes.</p><p>Blair answered that he did not know how critical the shortages in manpower and technology were.</p><p>In a document provided to the Star-Banner prior to the meeting, Blair's office broke down the items that make up his budget increase.</p><p>They include:</p><p>* $3.3 million to hire 50 new deputies, 20 for patrol and 30 in the jail;</p><p>* $6.1 million for new vehicles and other equipment;</p><p>* $1.8 million to meet new state mandates for funding the employees pension and insurance programs;</p><p>* $3.5 million to boost the contingency fund for emergencies;</p><p>* $567,708 to pick up the tab for 10 deputies hired under a federal grant program that is expiring;</p><p>* $330,922 to increase the overtime budget;</p><p>* $252,812 to fund salary increases in the department's graduated step pay plan</p><p>* $238,492 to help fund part-time employees.</p><p>Chairwoman Bryant pointed out to the sheriff that he was in a meeting of the county's elected constitutional officers when it was decided that, at least for the upcoming budget year, all county agencies would hold down spending.</p><p>"Obviously there is work to be done," she suggested. "For this budget year, this isn't going to work."</p><p>Blair replied that the commission was ultimately responsible for deciding how to proceed.</p><p>"It's hard for you to understand, I guess, that I've got 750 employees, and they have had a lot on their back for a long time. ... And they need someone to stand up for them, and I'm here to do that."</p><p><i>Contact Bill Thompson at 867-4117 or bill.thompson@starbanner.com.</i></p>